Ukrainian officials are reportedly ready to freeze the battle lines, but consider giving away additional lands a red line
Kiev is reportedly prepared to cede territory as part of a ceasefire agreement with Moscow, The Independent reported on Sunday, citing high-level Ukrainian sources briefed on the ongoing negotiations.
Kiev claims sovereignty over Russia’s Crimea, Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR, LPR), and the regions of Kherson and Zaporozhye. The territories became part of Russia following referendums in 2014 and 2022, and Moscow has insisted that their status is non-negotiable.
Nevertheless, Ukraine has refused to rescind its claims, and has repeatedly suggested that it will take them back by force. Russia currently controls around 75% of the DPR, Zaporozhye, and Kherson, and nearly 99% of the LPR, according to a report by the Russian General Staff last month.
Meanwhile, amid its ongoing attempts to negotiate a ceasefire in the conflict, the administration of US President Donald Trump has suggested that Kiev’s ambitions are “unrealistic.”
According to Politico, Ukrainian officials are now saying they have “come to terms with the current battle lines freezing, with Russia holding on to some territory for now for a ceasefire to work.”
The anonymous officials told the outlet, however, that ceding additional territory would be a “red line” for Kiev. “It is not reasonable to demand that, for example, Zaporozhye and Kherson be fully handed over,” the Ukrainian sources said.
Speaking to ABC News on Sunday, Trump’s national security adviser, Mike Waltz, also reiterated that Kiev must be prepared to give up certain territories as part of any peace negotiations with Russia in order to receive security guarantees.
He stressed that any attempts to “drive every Russian off of every inch of Ukrainian soil, including Crimea” would be unrealistic and suggested that diplomatic efforts should focus on the “realities of the situation on the ground.”
Previously, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio confirmed that territorial concessions were one of the issues discussed by Washington and Kiev in Saudi Arabia last week. He added that neither Russia nor Ukraine are likely to “militarily achieve their maximalist goals.”
Following the US-Ukraine talks in Jeddah, Kiev announced that it would agree to a 30-day ceasefire. Since then, Washington has been in contact with Moscow to negotiate a settlement.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has since stated that he is open to the idea of a ceasefire, but stressed that several issues must first be addressed – including the fate of Ukraine’s incursion forces who have been encircled in Russia’s Kursk Region, as well as guarantees that Kiev won’t use the truce to rearm and replenish its ranks.
